Energy

Availability of reliable, low-cost energy is the cornerstone of economic development and is a primary limiting factor for many developing countries. We share knowledge on an energy sector which is undergoing massive change with new technologies that will provide cheaper, more accessible and cleaner energy.

Renewable energy is the cleanest and inexhaustible source of energy. They are environment-friendly and help us tackle the most important concern of the 21st Century - Climate Change. Solar is one of the most important forms of renewable energy. Though solar cells are not efficient when it comes to producing energy during rainy seasons. Scientists from the University of Soochow, China have overcome the design flaw of solar cells.

The United Nations Environment Programme in collaboration with Bloomberg New Energy Finance released their annual Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2018. The report focuses on investment in renewable power and fuels - wind, solar, biomass and waste, biofuels, geothermal and marine projects, and small hydro-electric dams. The rise of solar power has dominated renewable energy investment in 2017, more than that new coal, gas and nuclear plants put together.

Wind energy is rapidly expanding, and the many benefits of wind power over other types of energy explain why. Let’s get a big picture look at wind energy before outlining why wind power is, frankly, better than the alternatives, including other types of alternative energy.

We all like to do our bit for the environment. We recycle, use kitchen waste to make compost, use reusable shopping bags, etc. These are all done in an attempt to decrease the usage of our planet’s resources and to reduce pollution. However, there might be more than you can do without even setting foot out of your home. When it comes to energy consumption, temperature regulation is one of the highest costs. We heat our homes in winter and cool them in summer.

The World Banks Lighting Global Program, Dalberg Advisors and GOGLA (Global Off Grid Lighting Association) have launched number four of its bi-annual publication – an in-depth analysis of the trends of the global off grid solar power market. The report examines an expanding market that is helping developing countries make a 'cleanleap' from fossil fuel based electricity to using renewable energy from the sun.

It is estimated that 844 million people lack access to a clean drinking water service, 2 billion people drink water from a contaminated water source. Each year this leads to an estimated death rate of 502.000 people. Producing clean water is a very intense process that requires a considerable amount of energy and efficient technology to run the water purification process.

About 8.2 million trees were cut down for charcoal in Somalia between 2011 and 2017, globally 50.8 tons of charcoal were produced, with Rwanda ranked at the 73th position with 48,000 tons. Thankfully there are still ways to remedy forest degradation by providing alternative, innovative and clean solutions for fuel - biomass pellets.

Climate change adaptation costs in developing countries could rise as high as US$250-500 billion per year by 2050 according to UNEP. With the world grappling with climate change, we need sustainable solutions to save our precious planet. Air pollution, deforestation and contaminated waterways are major issues, and there is a lot of work to be done in these sectors.

In Rwanda, a ‘Pico-hydro’ refers to a power system with a capacity less than 50kW. Their advantage over other power systems is their cost-effectiveness and simplicity, and come in different designs, planning and installation processes. It is an economical source of power that has proven useful in delivering clean energy to some of the world’s poorest and most remote places.

Whether they are consumed as grains or flour they are always products in high demand in Africa - these being cereals such maize, sorghum, millet and wheat. One of the issues with these widely consumed crops is when people want to grind them and consume them as flour, with most remote areas lacking access to electricity and therefore use expensive fossil fuel to run milling machines.